HOLLAND — Shane Kwapis wants to play running back in college and the Hope College coaching staff agree.

That’s one reason why the Gaylord High School senior will attend the college next fall and play for the 2006 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association champions.

“I really wanted to play football at the next level so I’m very excited,” said Kwapis, the 2006 Herald Times Area Player of the Year. “They asked me where I wanted to play and I said running back. They told me they were thinking the same thing.”

Another major reason Kwapis will attend Hope is because he liked the school and its engineering program. He had tested at Division II schools but decided a Division III school like Hope would better allow him to juggle academics and athletics.

He visited Hope and was showed around by St. Mary graduate Troy Blasius — a starting cornerback on the 2006 team that went undefeated during the conference season.

Kwapis was a two-year starting running back for Gaylord High and also saw time in the defensive secondary.

He gained 1,004 yards and scored 11 touchdowns as a senior and graduated as the school’s No. 6 all-time rusher.

Kwapis said he’ll likely play his first season on Hope’s junior varsity team before eventually working his way onto varsity.

He’ll play a schedule which includes frequent competitions against former teammates. Dan Dipzinski (Wheaton, Ill.), Mark Bliss (Kalamazoo), Calvin McNamara (Olivet), George Wilson (Adrian), Pat Granahan (Adrian), Will Allsopp (Alma) all are graduates from GHS.

“It will be fun playing against former teammates almost any games,” Kwapis said.

Kwapis is sticking to his rigorous training regiment of weightlifting and speed training three days a week. He said he’s looking forward to reporting to practice in early August.

“Right now I’m in the best shape that I’ve been,” he said.

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